The Häagen-Dazs ice cream brand debuted its first-ever Super Bowl commercial on February 9, during the third quarter of the National Football League’s (NFL) annual championship game in the United States. The Häagen-Dazs marketing team selected the 2025 Super Bowl, one of the largest snacking occasions of the year in America, as the perfect time and place to showcase the evolution of the brand during the past four years.
Born from the consumer insight that Häagen-Dazs ice cream is best enjoyed slowly, the campaign celebrates the need for “slow down” moments in an increasingly fast-paced world. The 30-second spot meaningfully and authentically slows down the Fast & Furious action film family through a moment of ice cream indulgence.
Similar to a movie release, the campaign kicks off with two 15-second teasers. Both serve to recreate Universal Pictures’ Fast & Furious world of car chases, speed and intrigue, as the audience wonders what the crew might be up to this time. The teasers, intended to drive online speculation among fans, each embody the adrenaline rush of the blockbuster franchise that sets up the main 30-second Häagen-Dazs “Not So Fast, Not So Furious” advertisement.
The storyline culminates at the Super Bowl, where Dominic “Dom” Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) embrace a moment of slow indulgence. Even Tej Parker (Ludacris) makes an unexpected appearance where he calls out his fast crew for taking their time with an ice cream treat in hand.
“Teaming up with Häagen-Dazs was a once in a lifetime opportunity to bring together my Fast & Furious family over delicious ice cream,” said Ludacris. “I’m truly excited to remind audiences to savor each ice cream moment and slow down the fast life with Häagen-Dazs.”
The commercial, which features some of the film saga’s quintessential cast and vehicles, was shot last November on the Pacific Coast Highway in California, which is a famous Fast & Furious film location.
Award-winning cinematographer and film director Lance Acord directed the spot and equally established Fast & Furious director, Louis Leterrier, was a consultant on the project. The duo worked in tandem to ensure each scene felt like a natural extension of the franchise and upheld the integrity of the evolving plots.
“What a ride!” said Elizabell Marquez, chief marketing officer at Dreyer’s. “Getting to pair up with one of the most notable franchises and talent in film history was everything we were looking for. The mutual love and admiration between both of our brands made this a brilliant idea from day one. We invite fans to help bring our Vanilla Milk Chocolate Almond Bar to America’s biggest day in sports.”
To continue the slow ride, Häagen-Dazs is bringing a 360 campaign to life: A custom ’63 Cadillac convertible, crafted in partnership with West Coast Customs and featuring a well stocked ice cream freezer trunk, is making the 1,900 mile road trip from the home of Fast & Furious (Los Angeles) all the way to the Super Bowl (New Orleans), with prizes available to those who follow along.
“My mother introduced me to Häagen-Dazs when I was a teenager. Coffee was her favorite. I can still remember rewarding myself after an audition as a young actor,” said Vin Diesel. “Just recently I posted after a script meeting with Michelle, and what were we doing… Enjoying Häagen-Dazs! A brand with roots in the South Bronx, that has grown into a global pastime, feels meaningful because it’s been part of my story for so long. It’s more than just ice cream, it’s memories.”
The commercial was developed by a new agency of record and independent shop, nice&frank, which led the creative vision from inception through execution alongside Park Pictures, LLC. Assisting in the campaign development was existing agency partners, The Door, which had the lead role in commercial talent procurement and earned media, and Spark Foundry, who manages paid media across the Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream portfolio.
The Häagen-Dazs brand offers ice cream, sorbet and bars in more than 65 flavors available around the globe. In the USA it operates under Froneri (a joint venture Nestlé created in 2016 with PAI Partners) as Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, based in Walnut Creek, California.
